Animal-Assisted Therapy

Course Description

Animals have been a part of our lives as long as we have been on the planet. The health benefits of the human-animal bond are far reaching. From guide dogs, to watching fish in an aquarium, to swimming with dolphins, animals provide us with companionship, assistance, exercise, a sense of calmness, sensory stimulation, and a level of acceptance that is often difficult to find from any other source.

Purpose/Goal

The outcome of this course is for the learner to describe the purpose of animal-assisted therapy, the theoretical background of the therapy, the benefits of this type of therapy for humans, several common types of animal-assisted therapy, and guidelines for developing an animal-assisted therapy program.

Course Objectives - Upon completion you will be able to do the following:

Describe the history of animal-assisted therapy.

State the purpose of animal-assisted therapy programs and differentiate between the types of therapy animals.

Describe three theories that attempt to explain the therapeutic effects of human interactions with companion animals.

State the settings in which animal-assisted therapy is utilized.

List at least three benefits of animal-assisted therapy.

Identify four types of animals used in animal-assisted therapy.

State guidelines for animal-assisted therapy programs.

Describe the role of the health care provider relative to the human-animal connection.

ASWB - Association of Social Work Boards - ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC, #1269, is approved as a provider for social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) www.aswb.org, through the Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. ASWB Approval Period: 04/22/2018–04/22/2021.

California Board of Behavioral Sciences - California Board of Behavioral Sciences Provider Number PCE 1564. Course meets the qualifications for the stated hours of continuing education credit for MFTs and/or LCSWs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.

California Board of Registered Nurses - Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider # CEP 14693 for the number of hours stated.

Florida Board of Massage Therapy - ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

Florida Board of Nursing - ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC is accredited as a provider of continuing education by the Florida Board of nursing (CE Provider # 50-12076).Courses are automatically submitted to CE Broker.

NAADAC - The National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors - ALLEGRA Learning is an approved provider with the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) (Provider #813).

Continuing education (CE) licensing requirements vary by jurisdiction, are not well defined, and may change. These CE requirements may vary in terms of the number of hours required to the types of courses that must be taken. ALLEGRA Learning Solutions recommends you contact your licensing board or accrediting organization for the latest continuing education requirements of your state or territory. Compliance with CE requirements is the responsibility of the individual health care provider. Health care providers must understand the CE requirements in their jurisdictions, and be sure they are up-to-date on any rule changes that affect their license. For further information, please see our Accreditation information page.

Accommodations for Disabilities

Every effort will be made to accommodate your special needs. To request accommodations, please contact ALLEGRA Learning Solutions at Contact Us.

Conflicts of Interest and Relevant Financial Relationships

The authors/planning committee members have no conflicts of interests or relevant financial relationships to declare relevant to this activity.

Non-endorsement of Products

Accreditation refers to recognition of continuing nursing education only and does not imply ALLEGRA approval or endorsement of any commercial product.

Off-label Use of Products

None of the authors intend to discuss off-label uses of drugs, mechanical devices, biologics, or diagnostics not approved by the FDA for use in the United States.

ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC is committed to the development of education programs with the highest quality content. We have a financial interest in the courses we provide. We adhere to strict quality processes in our course creation and delivery. Each course is rigorously researched, peer-reviewed by an external entity, unbiased, and developed to provide current, professionally-relevant, evidence-based materials. We comply with all applicable local, regional, state, and/or national laws and regulations. Integrity, maintaining and exceeding accreditation standards, and the use of ethical, sound business principles are also basic tenets of our philosophy. Images are for illustrative purposes only. Persons depicted are models. The stock photography company retains all model releases.